Descent into Darkness
by Bitway
Summary: They took so much away from her- it shouldn't have been like this. He's seen her like this for years. From start to present. {Ares fic. episode 5 spoilers. Haizaki & Akane focused}


"Akane...?"

As her name leaves his lips, the boy's eyes widen while staring at the girl sitting in a wheelchair. It was a strange sight, one not suited for her. She was always full of energy and radiated joy. He'd always seen her happy; she always found a reason to put on a smile. And now, that smile was gone, taken from her. Along with her heart.

Now she was nothing but a lifeless doll.

"Akane?" Haizaki repeats her name, now taking a step towards her. He hears her parents say something about being careful around her and that she needs some space. It doesn't register, none of this really does. Their voices are nothing but background noise and can't stop him from standing right before her.

He's quiet, trying to take in this sight, to understand what had happened. She wasn't moving at all. But why? She was perfectly fine the last time he saw her. There had to be a way to snap her out of this weird daze. One idea comes to mind. The boy takes in a breath and-

"Akane!" He shouts, voice louder than before. He's hoping to catch her attention, to make her move, to make her react. But, there's nothing. Not even a flinch to the sudden loud noise.

"Please, Ryouhei-kun," it's her mother who speaks to him, "don't shout at her. She's..." The woman bites at her lips, sorrowful eyes looking from the boy back to her daughter.

Her father steps in to speak, "if you want to see her, you can tomorrow. Tonight, she needs to rest." He begins to move before the boy could let out another word. The man stands behind the wheelchair, taking the handles and beginning to push Akane towards the stairs. His wife follow by his side, helping with getting her up these stairs and onto the second floor.

Haizaki remains in place, only turning and keeping his gaze on the family as they begin their ascent to their home. He's still in shock, unsure of what to think. This all seems like a bad dream- a nightmare. None of this could be real. His friend was supposed to go to some Ares school, they were supposed to meet up and play, he was supposed to hear her efforts on becoming a doctor.

But none of that had come true. Instead, she had returned home like...like _that_. Like the complete opposite of what she used to be. It was like something broke in her and stopped her from being herself.

"Akane..." He looks up, watches as her parents get her inside their home. The door shuts, but he doesn't move. "What happened to you?"

~...~

Haizaki is up unusually early the next day. His mother even makes a comment about it, but he shrugs it off, not in the mood to say anything back. He eats breakfast in silence and then waits for time to pass (which goes by very slowly, he might add) until it's the afternoon.

"I'm going to see Akane, mom!" He tells her, not waiting for a response as he heads to the door. He nearly runs out of his own home and to hers. The boy knocks at the door and waits, impatient, he begins to tap his foot. Her parents said he could see her today, so here he was. Haizaki would have come earlier, but his mother said to go later.

Just before he's about to knock again, the door opens. It's her mother who answers it. She smiles down at the boy (and for some reason it's not as happy as it could be, he can't explain it but it's not a bright smile).

"Akane is in her room. You ca-"

That's all he needs to hear before he runs inside, already knowing where to go. His feet stops at the door and for some reason, he can't move. Why? He wants to see her. He wants to know that she's okay.

 _But she isn't._

He shakes his head to that thought. Maybe yesterday was just a bad dream? A nightmare he had made up? That sounded right. Yesterday didn't happen. It wasn't his reality, but a made up one. There's no need to be scared to see her- not that he was scared in the first place! Definitely not!

 _Akane is okay_ , he thinks. _She's okay_.

A smile is forced onto his face. He begins thinking that they'll be playing together as they used to. Things would be just as before! All he had to do was open the door.

"Akane! Let's go and pla-!" Haizaki says as he pushes the door open and steps inside. He freezes in spot, smile instantly disappearing when he finds the girl just as she was yesterday. In a wheelchair, motionless, unmoving.

Yesterday wasn't a dream. This confirms it. Haizaki begins to take slow steps towards the girl beside her bed. He stops by her side, staring at her.

He raises a hand and then pokes Akane's cheek, hoping for something, even a glance, but she doesn't move. Another poke at her shoulder, her arm. (He doesn't dare to poke her legs.) She hadn't reacted to his voice and now she wasn't reacting to this.

"Are you okay?" He asks as his hand falls to his side. She wasn't, but he wanted to hear that she was. He doesn't like this Akane, this Akane with no life in her. Where had it all gone? Where had that light in her eyes disappeared to. His face falls to a frown as there were no answers given to him.

But, his eyes widen a moment later. An idea had struck him. "I'll be back," he says to the girl.

Haizaki darts out of the room, out of her home and back into his. He ignores Akane's mom and his own, only telling them he's just getting something from his room during his quick run home. At his room, he ignores the mess that's piling up on the floor and makes his way to his small desk.

A teddy bear sits there, fallen over onto its side earlier in the day. The boy grins as he grabs it, looking at the small stuffed toy she had given him. He holds it in his hands for a few seconds before darting out of his home and straight back to Akane.

The boy stops in front of her and holds the bear out to her. The room goes silent and it looks like she's staring at the toy, he hopes she is.

"Do you remember this?"

He hopes for an answer, something, but there's no response. He can feel his hope for the girl beginning to burn out. The boy's grip on the toy tightens and he's certain if it could breathe, he'd be suffocating it.

"You gave this to me," he states, firmly. His teeth begin to clench and eyes narrow. "You know what this is."

Now, he pushes the toy closer to her, just inches from her face. Akane wouldn't have slapped it away if she were awake, but part of him wanted her to. That was better than nothing. Something was better than nothing.

Unable to hold the bear to her for much longer, he throws the stuffed toy on the ground. That bear was supposed to have brought her back! What would Akane have done if she saw him do this? Scold him, tell him to take better care of her gift. He wanted to hear that, wanted her to be angry with him for doing this. But, she hadn't. There was no voice, no scolding, no response.

"Akane..." he utters her name, quietly. He can feel his body shaking as he looks down, he sniffles a bit. He refused to cry- he definitely wasn't. He was strong and would never do something like that. Even when he had gotten hurt before, he never cried. But this pain was different. It wasn't physical, something he could shrug off or put a bandage over. This hurt, made his chest hurt, made him feel terrible. Seeing her like this really did hurt.

"Why won't you talk? Why won't you move? Why won't you play with me?" He lifts his head, gaze meeting with hers. Frustration and sorrow look to empty ones. He stares, searching for something. A glimmer of light, something to rekindle the hope that was burning out.

There's no light in her eyes, not even darkness. It's all just...empty.

"We're... _friends_ , aren't we?" It's not a word he uses a lot. He tries to avoid uttering it whenever she had called him that. But saying this now, it should work, right? Akane would love to hear him say that, love to poke fun and tease him about saying it for the first time.

He can already see her reactions, see her smiling and laughing. She'd also say something about how they've been friends for a long time- since they first met. And then she'd go on about something new, maybe her school, and- and-

"Why'd you have to go to that stupid school?"

The boy falls to the ground. Everything hurts in a weird way and he wants to cry but won't let himself do so. Not in front of her or anyone. Haizaki remains on the floor, bringing his knees to his chest, hugging them. He can only stare at her, wait for her to move.

Maybe she'll come back to him. Maybe she'll wake up. Maybe everything will be okay.

He doubts it.

~...~

Haizaki stays in his room, refusing to leave on most days. What was the point of going outside anymore? There was no one to play with and he couldn't see Akane anymore. Things were painfully boring with her...gone.

He turns on his bed, eyes going over to the teddy bear that was beside him. Sometimes he felt like chucking it out the window, but every time he had tried to do so, he had stopped himself. He couldn't get rid of this dumb bear, his body wouldn't allow it. (That's his excuse, truthfully it reminded him of her and that was something he couldn't just throw away.)

"Ryouhei?" His mother calls for him as she knocks upon his door.

"Yeah?"

"Akane-chan's mother said it's alright to go and see her at the hospital now. Would you like to see her today?"

He turns to lie on his back, looking up at the ceiling. She's not going to be any different since she's gotten home. But, the hospital should be a better place for her, right? The doctors there would know what to do and how to take care of her.

Maybe things would finally be better. Maybe he had something to hope for.

"I guess we can go."

~...~

Haizaki remains by his mother's side as they enter the hospital. He hasn't been to the one in the city before. It's bigger than the local one by their home, definitely has way more people shuffling about inside it to. And it also smells like old medicine mixed together, it makes him want to cover his nose.

His mother checks them in and head up to the second floor. They look for her room number, but find her parents waiting outside the door. His mother waves to the other parents as they approach.

"You can go along inside, okay? I'll be out here if you need me," she tells him and he nods.

He gives a silent nod to Akane's parents before shuffling into her room. The room she's in looks bigger than the one at her home, but it's also devoid of any personalization. It doesn't feel like Akane's room either. There are some things in here, some small gifts and cards, balloons on the side of her bed. He takes a quick glance to see that most of these things read 'get well soon'.

Akane is sitting upright in bed- nothing about her has changed. Haizaki walks up to her, putting his hands on the bed before jumping onto it. He's careful not to make the bed bounce around or accidentally hit her as he does. He's quiet while swinging his legs back and forth.

"They'll take care of you here." He's not sure if she can hear him or not, but talking to her is better than having to deal with the silent room. "Maybe you can learn something while being here to. You did want to become a doctor."

 _And that's still your dream, right?_

Haizaki waits and sighs when she doesn't respond. But what did he expect at this point?

"I wish I could have stopped whatever did this to you."

She didn't deserve this. She really didn't. Akane was a good person with a good heart. She had reached out to him, been by his side. She wanted to good in the world- so why was she cursed to be like this?

His hands begin to clench the blanket on the bed. His head turns and looks to her. "I'll help you back to normal. I promise. I'll get you back." Haizaki reached out to put his hand over hers. Maybe its just him, but she feels colder than before.

She couldn't remain like this forever; he'd find a way to get her back to normal.

~...~

Haizaki is still getting used to the city, even after living here for a couple of years.. It's different from where he used to live, louder, more annoying, more people to deal with. But its better for him, he's closer to the hospital Akane is in, it makes seeing her easier and that's all he really cares about.

And just as he is on his way to see her, everyone comes to a stop. There was some announcement being broadcasted but he didn't care much for it. At least, he didn't until he had heard 'The Balance of Ares' which had stopped him in his tracks.

His gaze turns up to the screen on the building and listens to a man speak. He goes on about this Ares program and the only thing- person he can think about is Akane. During his visits to the hospital over the years, he had heard little bits about this Ares program. It was never much and only mentioned when another adult was around, but eavesdropping had let him know a little more about it. Like knowing the full name of it- The Balance of Ares- for example. And learning how she had been a simple test subject for it.

Information of this program was being broadcasted right before him. It was nothing but praise for these studies and results. How this was all to make the 'perfect' academic kid. Haizaki clicked his tongue at the utter nonsense that was coming from that man's mouth. Of course this program sounded amazing but was it as it was hyped up to be? And what happened to those who failed? What about those who were tossed aside?

 _What about Akane?_

Seeing this only made his anger rise. He wanted that man to shut up, he wanted to be the one to make him shut up. Who cared about academics anyway? And how it could be used in soccer as well? Who cared about any of that!

Just before he could storm off, a thought came to him. This program was made to make kids excel in academics and soccer. If he could beat them at one thing- or both- then he could show how useless that program really was. He could be stronger than anyone in that godforsaken program and prove it was unneeded.

It wouldn't get Akane back or maybe it would. He'd defeat those who had cursed her to this fate. He'd make sure this program would be beaten into the ground, to be erased from history.

The Balance of Ares had taken something away from him, so now it was time for him to pay it back.

~...~

"I'm going to attend Seishou Academy starting next week," Haizaki tells her. The teen glances over to the girl sitting in the chair beside him. He's used to her lack of response by now and isn't sure if that's a good or bad thing. He stopped hoping that she would reply to him.

"I'm joining their soccer team," he states it as a fact, as if he knew he'd be on the team. He had honed his skills, become something of a demon on the field, or so others had called him. He'd be an ace on this team, an unstoppable force. He had to be.

Haizaki falls silent and turns to Akane. She hadn't changed at all over these past years. Still quiet, still unmoving, still no smile upon her face or voice to hear. The girl simply sat there, facing the window and staring outside.

He sighs and stuffs his hands into his pockets. He walks over to the bed and drops to it. "I'll keep coming to visit you after school." He'd keep true to his word. No matter what, he'd come see her. Even if it was a little out of his way, he didn't care.

He looks out the window, trying to see what she could see. But, he only ends up focusing on her unmoving reflection. She'd always be like this, wouldn't she? There was no use saving her, he couldn't. The only thing he could do was get revenge on those who had done this to her.

"I'll destroy those bastards for you. I'll make them regret putting you through this."

All he had to do was play against that team, that team that had been through the Ares program and survived. It would be easy- simple. Those humans would be nothing for a devil.


End file.
